7
It had driven me crazy. In my dreams, I would try to recall the name of my fated partner, but all I could ever
remember was a single word from the file: “White.”
In our city, there was only one prominent family with that name that was on par with ours: the Whitehalls.
So when my mother introduced me to Spencer Whitehall, I agreed immediately.
If Sadie hadn’t mentioned him, I would’ve forgotten he existed.
Spencer was two years older than me, a big shot at our school back in his day. He was decent–looking, but
we’d barely ever spoken. The Whitehall family had been in decline for years. The only reason my father had
helped them in a recent business deal was because of our engagement.
Just then, as Sadie and I were getting lunch in the cafeteria, I saw them. Leo and Spencer, sitting on either
side of Jenna, piling food onto her plate.
Sadie saw it too. She walked over and dumped her entire glass of juice over Jenna’s head.
As the juice dripped down her hair, Jenna let out a piercing shriek.
Both boys shot to their feet.
“Sadie! What the hell are you doing?” Leo yelled.
“Leo! Have you forgotten how you used to spoil Lila? Just because you have a new sister now, you’re going
to treat her like this?”
“She is not my sister!” Leo’s voice was firm, resolute.
A shard of ice pierced my heart.
Spencer grabbed napkins to wipe Jenna’s face. Sadie, disgusted, slammed her lunch tray down in front of
them. “Spencer, you’re Lila’s fiancé! Isn’t it a little early to be kissing up to the new girl?”
Spencer stood up, towering over Sadie. “My engagement is to the Clark heiress. Now that the real heiress is
back, my fiancée is naturally Jenna. Why would I want an impostor like Lila?”
Chapter 2
20.06
“The DNA results aren’t even out yet, and you’re so sure?”
Leo glared at Sadie. “If Lila was just some nobody, would you still be her friend?”
Sadie jabbed a finger at Leo’s chest. “Even if she were the daughter of a garbageman, she would still be my
best friend!”
Watching Sadie defend me, my throat tightened with emotion.
Jenna tugged on Leo’s sleeve. “Brother, please don’t fight with Lila because of me. Even if I’m the real daugh- ter, Lila is still your sister, isn’t she?”
Her sickly–sweet, manipulative tone made me want to gag.
“I don’t have a sister like her!”
“Leo Clark! You’d better remember you said that!”
